


The Baratheon Adventure Society

by TheRedWulf



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Adventure, Archeologist!Stannis, F/M, Indiana Jones References, Post WWI Timeline, Romance, Slow Burn, The Mummy References, Wingman Davos, treasure hunters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-06-02 14:21:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19443205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRedWulf/pseuds/TheRedWulf
Summary: AU - In which famed Archeologist and Adventurer Dr. Stannis Baratheon meets his match...Picset is viewableHere!





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> This will be a bit of Stansa meets Indiana Jones, meets The Mummy…I think you will all approve! It will be updated as quickly as possible, this is not yet completed, I am writing from an outline and notes, but I have it mapped out.

Undisclosed African Desert - 1925

“What is it that we are missing, Davos” Stannis sighed, wiping the sweat from his eyes for the hundredth time that day as they poured over the maps and drawings. They had departed on this expedition nearly a moon's turn ago, chasing every lead that they could to track down “The Dragon’s Eye”. 

Their journey had been financed by Ser Eddard Stark, a World War hero and friend of the royal family. Eddard had taken an unknown interest in the possibility of finding “The Dragon’s Eye” and promised to fund their entire trip should they be willing to take on a scholar of his choosing. 

Anxious to get moving on what could be the most precious find in a millennia, Stannis had agreed. Upon an exchange of handshakes, Stannis rushed to tell his associate and closest friend Davos Seaworth, a retired smuggler and pirate with quite a wealth of knowledge, that they could depart! 

They would not be the first to search for “The Dragon’s Eye”, but he knew that they would be the ones to find it. The Eye was claimed to be a piece of legendary Dragon Glass, forged in the heart of a dragon and imbued with great power. The value of the Dragon Glass alone would put it in the millions, as the gemstone had not been around for centuries. The man who found the Eye would be a hero indeed. 

Stannis did not picture himself a hero exactly, but he was a dedicated scholar and if the Eye did exist, he would find it. Himself and Davos had been the pair to find the “Flaming Heart of Shangri-La” a shield described as protecting realms from the fires of evil. In truth it was a wood and metal shield with the depiction of a flaming hydra, quite nerve wracking if you asked him. The shield now sat in the London Museum, safe and protected so that all could learn from its secrets. 

And that was the truth of his work, to share it with the educational world. Such brilliant pieces of history belonged in museums, not in private collections or in the hands of treasure hunters. He sought to beat the treasure hunters to the Eye, and in doing so cementing his name in archeology history. 

“It seems that the clues here, are written in a dead language I cannot place” Davos moved a drawing of a large temple to Stannis’ line of sight. 

“These blasted Targaryen’s and their paranoid codes” Stannis cursed, not for the first time, the scribes of the Targaryen Dynasty. A mad, paranoid lot, the Targaryen rulers who had controlled nearly the entire world at one point, met their own downfall at the hands of a kingslayer from their own circle. The Targaryens were rumored to be descended from Dragons and all references to the Eye they could find seemed to bear the Targaryen coat of arms. 

“Edric” Stannis called to one of his students that had joined them on the trip. “Grab the Valryian scrolls, would you?” he beckoned. 

When Stannis was not hunting down artifacts of legend, he lectured at the London University and to several secret societies in town dedicated to the preservation of history. He enjoyed teaching, enjoyed seeing young minds that seeked adventure. The very adventure he had already been living for sometime. 

His brother’s constantly cautioned him to slow down, to settle down and choose a wife. He was nearly 40 years old now and had not secured his legacy, they warned. His legacy, he would argue, was a museum wing full of treasures that his brain had fettered out. He had a legacy that would last centuries. But they would not listen, encouraging him to find a pretty wife. Stannis would sigh, he did not have want of a pretty wife, his passion was the adventure, and what wife would want to participate in that? 

Edric entered the large tent with the scrolls in hand, setting them on the table, “This should be all of them” The young man of seven and ten said, smiling at the older explorers.”

“Perfect” Stannis dove in, sorting through to look for any sort of clue on how to decode the parchments. Along with the madness that seemed to seep into every Targaryen’s veins, the paranoia had them creating secret codes for their letters and history books. It made long work of trying to read any of them. So far they had been able to discern that the Eye could be hidden in catacombs outside Egypt's capital, but he was not sure where. 

“Blast” Davos cursed, swatting away yet another bug that seemed determined to torment them. 

“I wonder” Stannis paused but his thought was cut off by the sound of a roaring engine filling the sky. They ran to the door of the tent in time to see a Bristol 22 Bi-Plane flying overhead, the two-seater plane banking round to make a smooth landing in front of their encampment. 

“What the devil is a plane doing out here?” Davos chuckled. 

“I haven’t the slightest” Stannis agreed with his associates confusion. There was only one person who knew of their location. Realization dawned on them, “This must be Stark’s scholar” Stannis reasoned. 

“Ah” Davos nodded. “I was wondering who would be monitoring us on this trip.”

Stannis ground his teeth at Davos’ words, all benefactors liked to keep track of their investments, this was true. The last thing he wanted to deal with was a sniveling accountant of a scholar who pinched pennies every step of the way. 

The men watched as the plane came to a stop a few yards away. The passenger in the back tossed a large canvas duffle bag from the back before they stood and carefully climbed out themselves. 

Stannis felt his blood run cold as the form, tall and slender, had a decidedly obvious waist and a thick red braid that hung down their back, “Is that…?”

“I believe it is” Davos noted dryly. 

The three watched as the passenger spoke a few words to the pilot before backing away to grab their bag and make towards camp. Stannis could only stare, flabbergasted at the sight of the siren that walked towards them. She, and there was no mistaking that it was a she, wore tan breeches tucked into knee high brown boots, the fit of the pants emphasizing curvy hips and her slender waist. A waist that had both a thick leather belt and holster, a sinister pistol sitting on her right thigh. Her shirt was light, perfect for the desert heat, her curves accentuated by her brown suspenders and the bandana around her neck was a rich navy blue. 

When finally his gaze settled on her face, he realized that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever encountered. Porcelain skin, thankfully shaded by her wide brimmed hat, and hair the color of fire that seemed to lighten her blue eyes. She was elegant, but there was something else ...arrogant. She was a woman who walked with confidence that could not be taught, only possessed by those women poised to take on the world. She, he decided, was trouble. 

“Hello!” she greeted, her Northern accent thick. “I am so glad we found you!”

“Hello, Miss” Davos greeting, his usual jovial tone perfect for the occasion. “Davos Seaworth, at your service” he offered his hand.

“Mr. Seaworth I have read all about your adventures, I am honored to meet you” she shook his hand, setting her bag on the ground near their truck. “I am Sansa Stark, I believe you’re expecting me.”

“If you mean to say you are Ser Eddard’s scholar, then yes we are” Davos replied smoothly. 

“I am, both his daughter and the scholar” she turned then to Stannis, her smile impossibly wide. “Dr. Baratheon, I cannot tell you how honored I am to---”

“You’re the scholar?” Stannis spat before he could stop himself. 

“I am, yes” she smiled. “Like I said, I am honored to be working with you. I have been to several of your lectures, sir and I---”

“How old are you?” Stannis’ eyes narrowed. 

"Stannis" Davos' voice warned.

“I do not believe that is relevant to the task at hand, Dr. Baratheon” her bright eyes hardened. 

“19? 20?” Stannis continued. “You are aware of the dangers of this---”

“I am not worried about danger as much as I am chauvinists” she retorted, glaring at the seasoned adventurer. “You agreed to have a scholar of Stark’s choice, that is me. I have a resume on hand, should you wish to peruse it. But I assure you, I am highly qualified.”

“Highly qualified” Stannis ran a hand over his face. “Gods, we’re going to have to babysit his daughter” he rolled his eyes and strode back into the tent. 

Davos began to protest but before he could, she spoke up, “Excuse me, Dr. Baratheon but that is incredibly unfair” she stormed after him, removing her hat as she stepped into the tent. 

Stannis watched her, her blue eyes immediately searching the parchments on the table. Though she was slightly dirty from her flight, she was still stunning. How was he supposed to concentrate with her underfoot! 

“Oh” she set her hat aside and pushing through the parchments spread across the table, talking to herself as she read. 

“What are you doing?” he glared. 

“This is Targaryen code, yes” she said without looking up. “A good one, blast it's a good one” she laughed softly. “This must be from...Aegon II,” she mumbled.

“Yes, Miss. Stark, we know” Stannis said. 

“Please, call me Sansa” she waved a dismissive hand at him and he wanted to growl at her. How dare she, this beautiful young woman, come into camp and dismiss him. Him!!! “You there” she looked up to fix her gaze on Edric. Edric who looked positively enchanted. Stannis wanted to wallop him upside the head. 

“E-edric, ma’am” the boy squeaked. 

“Right,” Sansa nodded. “Do you have Cuneiform references on hand? I know the language but I am a bit rusty” she said with a smile. 

“Of course” the boy ran back to the truck, rifling through the books in the back. 

“You cannot be serious” Stannis watched her as she picked up a pencil and began to scribble notes on the back of the closest piece of paper. 

“I assure you, I am” she said coolly, looking to Davos. “Is he always like this?” she pointed to Stannis. 

“I am afraid so” Davos chuckled as Stannis protested. 

“Here you are, ma’am” Edric placed the book in front of her. 

“Enough with the ma’am, call me Sansa” she replied. “Thank you.”

“You will call her Miss. Stark” Stannis glared at the boy. The girl had the gaul to scoff at him as she rabidly flipped through the book, humming softly. Was anything about her not infuriating? 

“There” she made one last note before she turned the paper and pushed it towards him. “A delightful mix of Cuneiform and High Valyrian” she raised a perfect brow in challenge. “As I said, Dr. Baratheon, not only have I been to several of your lectures, but I am an accomplished linguist, cartographer, marksman and cryptographer. I studied in Oxford, New York and Cairo” she smirked. “And I am 26, since that seems quite vital.”

He watched her as he picked up the code she had so quickly broken. One he and Davos had been pouring over since daybreak. Looking to the paper he read the crisp, clear coordinates and ground his teeth. “Pack the truck, Edric, it looks like we’re headed to Kharga” he ordered and the boy got to work. “Welcome aboard Miss. Stark” he raised his own brow in challenge. Two could play her game. This expedition should prove quite interesting.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Travelling across the desert...

Sansa sat in the passenger seat of the repurposed military truck, the warm breeze oddly comforting as they made their way across the desert. Edric and Davos were in the back beneath the truck’s canopy with their gear, trying to get as much rest as possible. She, however, was in the cab with the most infuriating man she had ever met. 

If she were to be honest, she had had quite the scholarly crush on Dr. Stannis Baratheon for quite some time. She had read about him in her college courses and practically sprinted to sign up for attending his guest lectures. There was something oddly charismatic about the abrupt archeologist that she found adorable. 

Of course, she would blush if forced to admit, he was also quite handsome. At least, in her opinion. He was tall, lean but whipcord strong and his mostly-silver hair was quite dashing. He was a man who had travelled to the corners of the world and unearthed more forgotten history than schools could teach. She was in awe of him, of course, had him on a pedestal as the man who would take her seriously as a woman in their field and she would be able to learn from his adventures. 

The reality was of course him questioning her age and qualifications, but she was not, unfortunately shocked at this. Most men seemed to question her qualifications in the academic field, all of them underestimating how much she had learned at her private boarding school and college courses. She grew up in the wilds of the North, and thus had learned to survive at an early age. They only came to town when her Father went to war, choosing to stay within the city and away from anywhere they could be caught off guard. 

While her mother worked in the metal and iron factories, Sansa attended school and worked in a bookshop, which meant her downtime was filled with reading. And oh how she loved to read. She vowed to herself, in that same bookshop, that she would see the world. She would adventure to the jungles of the Amazon and the dry deserts of Egypt and she would make something of herself. 

Fortunately, she had a mind for maps and languages, and from there easily breaking codes and secrets. Her professors in New York and Oxford were impressed and in Cairo they used her for more translations than you could shake a stick at. 

But now, she smiled as the dry wind caressed her face, she was _here_. She was in Egypt, sitting beside THE Dr. Stannis Baratheon as they hunted for the most valuable artifact in Valyrian history. It was unreal. 

She looked to the man at her side, his lean form in the tan breeches and brown boots, the linen shirt dancing in the wind. As it moved, it would give her a brief glance at the lean chest and coating of dark hair beneath. Though he was nearly 40 now, she still found him just as handsome as he had been nearly 5 years ago at his lecture in Oxford. Though, as opposed to the suit he wore then, he looked much more at home in his outland gear. 

Admittedly there was the small hiccup of him not wanting her here, but she could work with that. She was not one to complain and she knew she could carry her weight along the way. She was determined to prove herself to him, to this man she had so admired. Soon they would reach the outskirts of Kharga, and she could not wait to see which clue awaited them. 

Stannis watched her out of the corner of his eye, her fiery hair dancing on the hot desert wind as they travelled across the expanse. She had occupied his thoughts from the moment she descended from the plane, and he could curse her for it. She had thrown a very beautiful wrench in the gears of this expedition. 

He was not, in general, ‘good’ with the fairer sex, having been known to be abrupt and curt, he did not have many opportunities to talk with them one-on-one. In school he did not date or have flings as others seemed to have, but was firmly dedicated to his studies. History was his wife, and Archeology his mistress. He did not mind that he ate his meals alone, or with Davos after their friendship had begun. He did not mind that Davos was married and he was often the third wheel, but now…

He ground his teeth as he looked away from her, focusing on the sprawling sand ahead of them. Kharga, he grimaced. He should have known that the High Valyrian would be cut with some other dead language. She had made easy work of the code and he could not help but feel ...threatened? No---Old. She had made him feel old and he resented that. There were 14 years between them, not an unheard of gap he supposed, but a gap nonetheless. No, the truth of it was she was a glaring reminder of what he could not have, not when he spent 10 months out of the year in uncharted territory searching for figments of history’s imagination. Unless…

“I can’t tell if it is actually Kharga or if it is just an oasis” her soft laugh brought him back to the present. Looking out the windshield he saw what she was seeing, the faint, flickering outline of a city on the horizon. “

“I believe that is actually Kharga” he said gruffly. “We’ll camp outside of town, I should think. Dig into the codes in the early morning before the heat sets in.”

“Makes sense” she agreed, absently smoothing a stray curl. 

“Tell me, Miss. Stark---”

“Please, call me Sansa” she turned to smile at him, the sunlight creating a halo around her. 

“Sansa, tell me, what made you decide to pick archaeology?” he asked. 

She gave a soft laugh, “You did, Dr. Baratheon.”

“Stannis, please” he said.

“Stannis” she repeated. “I was at your lecture in Oxford in 1920, nearly 5 years ago now. I had just returned from New York, and when you spoke, it was with such passion and devotion, I felt as if you spoke of your most precious loved one. I wanted to capture that, to feel that for myself.”

He was incredibly humbled by her words. Though he did not remember the specific lecture, he knew the feeling well. His love was his work, there was no doubt about that. “Did we meet?” he found himself asking. 

“No” she laughed. “I was far too shy. I was one of the few women there and I felt that I should escape before someone tried to coax me into leaving school to become a housewife” she laughed. 

“I cannot imagine you being shy” he scoffed. 

“I was then” she gave a sad smile. “A bad sweetheart, you know, a man who turned out to be not-so-good.” 

“I am sorry” he said honestly.

“I’m not” she mused. “He was damaged, and once I learned that I was able to move on. I put my effort into my studies and like I said, I was determined to capture that feeling you described so well.”

“Hopefully you will have the chance,” he replied. 

“I believe we will” she smiled, the smile reaching her eyes once more. “I am going to help you find the Eye, Stannis, I promise you I will give you every ounce of energy I have.”

He looked at her for several seconds before turning his attention back to the desert, “I believe you” he said. And he was telling the truth. 

He found her wording unique, stating that she was ‘going to help him find the Eye’, not that ‘she was going to find the Eye’. She was a unique creature, he decided. Trouble to be sure, as she had already wheedled herself under his skin. But unique. When he saw a woman step off the plane, he had girded himself to deal with complaints, bickering and nitpicking, but he had not heard a single word along those lines out of her yet. She seemed dedicated to the task at hand, content merely to be a part of the expedition. 

He wondered then, what sort of opposition she had experienced in the academic field. He would admit that it was a field dominated by men and cliques of adventurers. Some women attended courses in the field to meet men searching for a wife, an “Mrs.” degree they called it, but Sansa Stark seemed to be the rare case of a woman who not only enjoyed but excelled in the field. 

Sighing to himself, he realized they were rapidly closing in on Kharga. They should camp soon, he nodded to himself, to ensure they could pitch tents before the cold desert night set in. With a long arm, he gave the back window of the truck two heavy bangs, letting Edric and Davos know that soon they would be stopping. 

He watched as Sansa smoothed her hair and placed her worn tan hat back atop her head, smiling as they prepared to make camp. 

As the sun finally set on the horizon, it found them with their tents ready, the small group settled around a fire (for light more than warmth), sharing stories as they ate their rationed meals. 

“Davos, tell me” Sansa smiled as she set her tin plate aside. “The Onions, is that true?”

“Absolutely” Davos smiled and Stannis gave a chuckle, knowing the story well. “I have smuggled a great many things, but the onions will always be my downfall. I admit I have not eaten once since!”

Sansa laughed, the sound carefree and pure, “When I read the account, I could not imagine having nothing to eat but onions for months. But then,” she laughed once more. “I could not stop imagining what it smelled like.”

“An onion patch gone bad, that is for sure” Davos laughed as he thought back to his wild younger days as a smuggler. “I avoid onions at all costs!”

“I imagine that smell is a similar smell to the salt mines of Shangri-La” she mused. 

“Ah” Stannis nodded. “A unique smell indeed. One I never wish to re-live.”

“Gods that stayed in the pores” Davos cringed. “Marya wouldn’t let me sleep in the bedroom for weeks!”

“I was disinvited from Christmas” Stannis tried not to sound too heartbroken over that. “Such muck.”

“Tell me, Miss. Stark” Davos chuckled. “Have you ever had the smell of compost burnt into your nostrils?” he laughed. 

“I cannot say that I have” she admitted. “And please, do call me Sansa.”

“Of course, Sansa” Davos said. 

As they laughed, Edric ventured to the truck to grab his old wooden acoustic guitar, carrying it back to the fire to idly play as they talked. Though he was the youngest in the group, he was no less excited to be spending his time with the great adventurers Stannis Baratheon and Davos Seaworth. And Sansa, he thought she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, but he knew by the way that Dr. Baratheon looked at her that she was already all but spoken for. 

Dr. Baratheon was a hard man, cold but caring in his own way. He had taken him under his tutelage when he found himself an orphan, working at the University so that he could feed himself. Though Edric had not been a high scholar, under Dr. Baratheon's hand he was learning to make his own place in the academic world. After this expedition he would apply for Oxford to further his education. He could not wait. 

Plucking at the strings he adjusted the tune, the harsh desert heat wreaking havoc on the metal strings. 

“Oh you play?” Sansa asked with her vibrant smile that made it hard to concentrate. 

“A bit” he tried not to blush.

“Do you know ‘Jenny of Oldstones’?” she asked brightly. 

“I do” he admitted and he began to pluck the notes away. As he plucked, Sansa began singing, her voice high and clear. He watched her while he played, and then his gaze went to Dr. Baratheon who was gazing upon her with an expression he had not seen outside of a museum. Pure wonder. 

The song ended and they gave small applause, “Delightful playing” she complimented him. “I believe I shall retire now” she wiped her hands on her pants and made her way to the truck. While they only had two tents, they had decided it was safest for her to sleep in the truck, that way propriety would not be questioned and she would have the canopy for privacy. 

“Goodnight” she called, her eyes lingering on Dr. Baratheon before she ducked into the truck’s bed. Leaving the men to their comfortable silence and Edric to wondering where he could find a Sansa Stark of his own, as she was clearly spoken for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for pic sets and more shenanigans!  
> @the-red-wolf or https://the-red-wulf.tumblr.com/


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the dance begins...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some slow burn and a Davos perspective...

Stannis woke at daybreak to the soft sound of humming coming from outside his tent. Blinking the sleep from his eyes and shoving the thin wool blanket aside, he quickly dressed. He was not anxious to see her, he would argue with himself, he was simply anxious to get started on the day. 

Emerging from his tent, his eyes found her immediately. The humming siren, sitting on the tailgate of the truck, already clad in her trousers and shirt, pale feet bare as she swung them absently. One hand held a hair brush, a surprisingly delicate metal piece, as she tamed her fiery hair. It was longer than he’d thought, having previously only seen it in a braid. It fell to the tailgate beside her, pooling like lava in the morning sun. In her other hand was a worn journal he had nearly memorized; it was the piece that held this mission together, the journal of Queen Daenerys Targaryen. 

He’d located the journal in Mereen, of all places, the pages filled with details and secrets of her reign. The find had been huge, earning him and Davos no small amount of notoriety, but they were more excited for what the journal could help them find, rather than the journal itself. The Eye is the endgame, they had decreed. 

“Good morning” Davos’ greeting broke him from his trance. His oldest friend raised his brow in silent question as he handed him a cup of coffee. 

“Morning” Stannis gave a nod, not wishing to speak on Davos’ implied questions. 

“Oh, good morning” Sansa graced him with her vibrant smile. “This journal is fascinating,” she admitted. “I can’t seem to put it down.”

“You can read High Valyrian?” Stannis asked then shook his head. “No, of course you can. Daenerys was quite a detailed writer” he added. 

“And in love with her nephew,” Sansa made a face akin to a grimace. 

“Not uncommon in the Targaryen’s family, I am afraid” Davos chuckled, setting another tin of coffee on the tailgate beside her, earning a soft thank you. 

“Probably what fueled their madness” Stannis noted plainly.

“Quite possibly” Sansa agreed, setting the journal aside to braid her thick hair. 

Stannis did not watch, no, he merely noticed as she tamed the mess of curls into a thick plait. Once she had tied it off with the leather throng, she reached for her coffee. Gods, he inwardly sighed, even the way she enjoyed coffee was infuriating. Both hands on the tin, her blue eyes fluttered closed as she drank, savouring each drop. 

The sound of Davos’ loudly clearly his throat echoed in the camp and Stannis turned his glare on him, but as always, his friend was undeterred. He focused then on his own coffee, sorting through the parchments that were already on their makeshift table. Today they would be hunting down the exact location of the Catacombs, and hopefully they would be able to figure it out. 

“We’ll need to go into Kharga for fuel and freshwater” Davos explained. “I can take the truck, and Edric, if you two would like to stay in camp.”

Stannis ground his teeth, wishing he could wipe the smirk from Davos’ face, “No, we shall venture in with you” Stannis replied. “We will grab more food and supplies in the market.”

Davos nodded, “As soon as you’re ready then.”

“We’ll sort out the next move, first. Then we can go straight from town to the next location” Stannis reasoned. 

“What do you think she means when she says ‘behind the door of a thousand fires’?” Sansa asked, moving to join them at the table. She had pulled on her boots and carried the mug in one hand, the journal in the other. “Is that a warning, you think? Are we walking into booby traps?”

“It’s very likely, given the Targaryen’s history” Stannis agreed. “Wildfire, perhaps?”

“Oh” she met his gaze and smiled. “Just so,” she sipped her coffee, pacing away, then back. “So wildfire, what else? I mean, wildfire must be stored in a cool, dark place, right?”

“Right” he felt his mind slowly kicking into gear. “So rocks, caverns, perhaps” he rifled through the satchels to find the maps, unfolding them across the table. 

“Underground, for sure,” she continued, moving to stand beside him. They both leaned over the maps, and she was close enough for him to feel the heat of her body. “Do you happen to have water sources on hand? Near water would be the coolest, I would think” she turned to face him and because of their proximity, they were now only inches from each other, eyes locked in a silent conversation. He could feel his heart race, screaming at him to do _something_!

“Water table maps” Edric announced, rather pleased with himself as he set the secondary maps on the table, breaking Sansa out of her trance. She stood quickly, clearing her throat and silently praying that her cheeks weren’t bright pink. If they were, hopefully her companions would think it was from the desert sun and not because of Stannis. 

Carefully shifting away, she grabbed the water table maps and pulled it closer, trying to distract herself.

She had spent a restless night in the back of the truck, wishing she could sleep but finding herself able to only think of the previous days events. And of _Him_. He was so much more than she could have ever anticipated. She had expected him to be stiff, stodgy and nowhere near as masculine as he was. But watching him as they had driven in the truck, seeing him illuminated in the firelight had sent her mind into overdrive and she could hardly think of anything else. 

Giving up near dawn, she made her way quietly through camp, grabbing the thick journal from the research supplies and settled into read as the sun began to rise. She had hoped that in reading the Targaryen queen’s journal, she would be able to focus on the task at hand, but her mind still continued to wander to the doctor sleeping just feet away. 

“Alright here” his deep voice began, pointing to an area on the map. “These cliffs are near the Nile, the rocks could allow themselves to be a conduit for the water table.”

“The water moves fast enough” Davos chimed in. If he knew anything, it was water. He had spent his life aboard various ships and that was truly his area of expertise. “The table might have shrunk in the years since the Dragon Queen’s reign, but it would still hold.”

“Alright then” Stannis trailed across the map with his finger and she found herself wondering what it would feel like to have that hand trail across-- “Here” Stannis tapped a small bend in the river to the south of Luxor. 

“Luxor” Sansa said softly, thinking back before she flipped through the journal. “I thought her wording odd before but now it makes sense. Given the era it would have been proper to say 'Light of the Seven', right? The city of Luxor was old Thebes right, it had a temple built by Amenhotep III, right?”

“With the monuments added later by Ramesses II,”Stannis added. 

Sansa read aloud, “And in the shadow of the five is the gateway to fire” she looked to Stannis. “III and II, the five!” she laughed, closing the journal with a resounding thud. “We’re going to Luxor!”

“Well met” Stannis gave an odd sort of chortle, joining in on the team’s celebration. 

The marketplace in Kharga was small, but no less busy than the larger markets near the larger cities in Egypt. Kharga was actually an oasis, a small fertile spot in the vast desert and because of such, nomads and travellers used it as a hub of sorts. A re-supply spot and local trading place alike. So beside the ancient stone buildings stood bright tents and canopies, all of the vendors seeking to peddle their wares.

Davos parked the truck near the fuel and water stations at the edge of the market, banging the back window so the rest of the team knew to hop out. Once he shut off the engine, he joined the team at the back of the truck. 

“Alright, we’ll see to food and be back in less than an hour I should think” Stannis said, he voice business as usual despite the tall redhead that stood beside him. They were an intimidating pair, Davos inwardly noted, both tall and striking. And both, he hid his chuckle, thoroughly besotted with each other. 

He’d been watching them dance around each other all day; each orbiting the other in a timeless dance where neither wanted to make the first move. He had never seen Stannis in such a state, nor lost to such apt observation as he had been that morning as Sansa had braided her hair. He and Edric had exchanged looks, both of them enjoying the distraction in the overly-hot desert. 

Davos was always an ocean man, himself. He had been born by the sea in Flea Bottom. Worked on ships from the moment he was old enough and made a name for himself smuggling goods across the ocean during the war. He owed his life to Stannis’ quick thinking during the war, and soon they had become friends. 

Eventually when Marya, his wife of many years, asked that he take a less risky profession than smuggling, he accepted Stannis’ offer to travel with him. He did not know it at the time, not being a scholar himself, but Stannis was quite an accomplished archaeologist, and in joining his team he was thrust in the international treasure hunting spotlight. But oddly, his knowledge and skills seemed to fit in and they had been working together for nearly fifteen years now. 

Admittedly, he had often wondered as to Stannis’ aversion of the fairer sex. Having reached the age of 40 and not been married seemed to be a rarity in society. He supposed it was because Stannis’ was ‘married’ to his work, dedicated and did not want to ask, or force, a woman to take second place to that. 

The arrival of Sansa Stark, however, had blasted that out of the water. Young, beautiful and spirited, she was his match in everway. Yesterday upon her arrival she had faced down Stannis’ glares that cowed university students and scholars worldwide to argue with him, never backing down until she had forced him to accept that she _was_ qualified. And she _would_ be joining the team. Yes, she was his perfect match. 

Bidding them farewell, he watched the striking pair make their way to the market, shaking his head as he saw to the fuel and water. 

“What do you think, then?” Edric asked him quietly as the pair vanished into the crowd. “Five gold dragons says they come back married.”

Davos laughed at the young boy, “You might not be wrong, though he’s known to be a stubborn man.”

“Right” Edric unloaded the water barrels and helped roll them to the wells. “But he just...watches her. He's never done that before.”

"Aye" Davos nodded curtly. “Ten gold dragons they’re married before we find the eye."

“You’re on” Edric laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for pic sets and more shenanigans!  
> @the-red-wolf or https://the-red-wulf.tumblr.com/


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A marketplace meeting...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so....so sorry.

While Sansa admitted that she had never been to the Kharga market before, Stannis himself had not been in many years. It looked much the same, bright canopies and ancient stone, the aisles filled with strangers. Strangers who seemed to like taking a second look at the woman beside him. This would not do. Moving slightly closer to her, while he was well aware that she was the one with the gun, he was the tall, intimidating man. That carried a bit of weight in this region of the world. 

Sensing his movement, she turned to him with a frown, “Are you alright?” she asked, her bright blue eyes shaded by the brim of her hat. 

“Yes, just--stay close” he deigned to say, wishing he could explain the unease he felt. 

“Alright” she agreed, walking at his side as they visited several booths to buy fresh fruit and dried meats for their journey. He truly did enjoy watching Sansa smile at each new discovery, eyes alight as she passed a booth with vibrant scarves. 

He found himself impressed once more as she spoke fluently in Arabic to several vendors, negotiating prices and making small conversation. She was truly a diamond, hidden amongst the rough desert. 

Their enjoyment was short lived, however, as they rounded the last booth and he came into eye contact with one man, one low-life thief of a man, that he never wanted to see again. He was seated at a wooden table, ale at hand as always, looking as mad as ever. 

“Well, well” the sickening laughed reached him, even over the crowd. “Father, check my pulse, I do believe I am dead. That cannot be Dr. Baratheon with a woman!”

Upon hearing Stannis’ name, Sansa looked to where the two men were watching them. They were father and son, she deduced this immediately given the resemblance. But while the father held a distinguished sort of boredom in his eyes, the son…..he was mad. She had seen that look before. In town on the faces of soldiers who had lost their souls at war, but their bodies kept on going through the paces. On the face of a man she once cared for, but could no longer recognize. No, this young man was sick. Very, very sick. 

“Roose and Ramsay” Stannis said softly. “Treasure hunters and notorious thieves. They used to work for the Lannisters---” 

“Come, Baratheon,” Ramsay beckoned. “Join us!”

Stannis looked around, seeing no clear escape now that he had been recognized he was forced to make polite small talk with this monster. As he guided Sansa across the walkway, he whispered in her ear, “Whatever I say, play along, gods help us” he warned her and she nodded in agreement. She stayed close to his side as they neared the two, keeping a reasonable distance. “Afternoon, it has been a while.”

“About two years, I’d say” Roose replied dryly, his voice monotone as he drank. 

“Yes, the BloodRaven incident, eh?” Ramsay laughed, the tone almost maniacal to Sansa's ears. “We still haven’t forgiven you for that.”

“Try being on the right side of the law next time, then” Stannis quipped and Ramsay laughed once more. 

“Tell me, what brings you to Kharga, and with such delicious cargo” Ramsay boldly examined her person, his eyes raking over her in such a way that made Stannis feel ill. 

“Honeymoon” she heard Stannis’ voice say and did her best to hide her shock. 

“I can hardly believe that this, this glorious creature, married you” Ramsay shook his head. Stannis instantly wanted to punch him in the face, but he settled for grinding his teeth instead.

“Miracles happen” Roose added and his son laughed, raising his cup to drink deeply. 

“What is your name, beauty?” Ramsay asked. 

“Alayne” Sansa replied smoothly. “Alayne Baratheon now, I suppose” she moved closer to his side. _Good thinking_ he noted, though the idea of it made his gut clench. Alayne Baratheon did not have the appeal of say....Sansa Baratheon. 

“Alayne” Ramsay repeated the name slowly, the way his voice carried it made his stomach lurch. “You are too beautiful for Baratheon, Alayne.”

“I disagree” she countered.

“Do you now? You have spirit don’t you” Ramsay glared. “A girl like you needs to be broken---”

“If that is all, gentlemen, we will excuse ourselves” Stannis interrupted, his voice hard and cold. 

“You’re looking for the Dragon’s Eye” Roose’s voice held them cold. “And this girl, is Eddard Stark’s daughter, Sansa” he met her eyes. “You look just like your mother...or at least you did. Shame, isn’t it? The North is such a dangerous place.”

"I would hold my tongue, if I were you” Sansa warned now, her voice cold as her body began to shake against his. Here eyes were narrowed, searching the faces of these two men as if trying to place them.

“Or what? You’ll shoot me?” Roose chuckled and Ramsay joined in. 

“Have a good afternoon, gentlemen” Stannis gave a curt nod and, with an arm around her waist, guided Sansa away. “Just walk, keep walking” he could feel her shaking with anger, her temper flaring beyond what he could control. Her hand was bunched in the back of his shirt, her arm shaking as she moved.

“BARATHEON!” Ramsay’s voice echoed in the square, the patrons around them coming to a halt. Stannis paused against his better judgement, turning to see Ramsay standing in the walkway with a large knife in hand. “I will be coming for that pretty Northern ‘wife’ of yours, I can promise you that” he laughed. 

In a flash Sansa whirled and he barely caught her waist in time, “I will kill you first, I promise you that you---you----BASTARD” she all but screamed, her body shaking as Stannis hauled her over his shoulder and carried her away. “I will KILL you!” 

Davos had just finished reloading the fuel and water into the truck when Stannis came into view, bags of food in one hand and Sansa over the opposite shoulder. 

“Good gods, he did it” Edric marvelled. 

“No” Davos noticed her struggling, shaking his head. “Somethings amiss.”

“LET ME GO” she cried out, struggling in Stannis’ strong grip. 

“No, calm down this instant” Stannis barked, carrying her to the back of the truck where he deposited her, butt first onto the tailgate. “Look at me” he growled as she sat, now eye level with him. “You need to stay far, far away from the Boltons---”

“They killed my mother” she argued and Stannis froze. 

“When we left for town, during the war, we went to London and they--the Boltons sieged our family home, they destroyed everything” Sansa explained. “We didn’t know...When the war ended, my mother and two younger brothers when back to Winterfell to meet my Father, but when he got there they were...on the ramparts in pieces” she closed her eyes as tears hit her cheeks. “They killed my family, and I have _every_ right to kill them in return.”

Davos felt his heart ache for her, losing her family to the disgusting likes of the Boltons. 

“There will be no killing” Stannis stated. “The bigger problem right now is that they know why we’re here. They know your father’s business dealings and they are here to steal it.”

“But if we find it first---” Edric started. 

Stannis wheeled on him, “Then they will kill us and take it.”

“Over my dead body” Sansa warned. 

“Just so” Stannis met her eyes once more, wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumb. “There is a rifle in the truck, we’ll keep it ready and loaded. Edric is a good shot and if we do find the catacombs, he can be a look out. But for now, we have to watch our backs.”

Davos watched as Stannis talked her through her grief, her anger and reasoned with her until she nodded stiffly. Abrupt as he was, he seemed to be able to speak to her in a way she understood, no matter her anger.

Stannis then turned to face him, “Are we ready?” 

“Yes” Davos nodded. “We should have enough to last a while.”

“Good” Stannis nodded. “You and Edric can take the cab, we’ll share the back” Stannis tossed the bags from the market into the bed of the truck before climbing in. 

Davos watched as Stannis helped Sansa to sit against the cab of the truck before stretching out beside her. She was crying softly, silent tears escaping and he could not tell if they were sadness or anger. 

With a nod to Edric, they climbed into the cab and headed out of the oasis, making sure that none followed. 

In the back, Sansa met Stannis' gaze once more, “I am sorry” she whispered. “My outburst…”

“Don’t be” Stannis placed an arm around her shoulders and she relaxed into his side, tucked under his arm as if she belonged there. “Don’t be” he held her silently as the truck bounced its way back into the desert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for pic sets and more shenanigans!  
> @the-red-wolf or https://the-red-wulf.tumblr.com/


	5. Part 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for pic sets and more shenanigans!  
> @the-red-wolf or https://the-red-wulf.tumblr.com/

When hours passed with no sign of being followed, Stannis felt her body relax against his as she succumbed to slumber. The truck was still bouncing across the open desert, both Davos and Edric charting their course to the location south of Luxor that they hoped would guide them to the catacombs. 

His thoughts returned to Sansa, now relaxed against him as she slept, and the news she had delivered to them back in Kharga. The Boltons had killed her family, or 3 members at least. Gods, he ran a hand over his face, careful not to wake her. He had no idea that the North was still war-torn, that there was such savagery…

He knew, of course, that Ser Eddard was a widower, but was not enlightened as to the circumstances. Now he knew. The Boltons, men who had taken so much from him throughout his career, had taken Sansa’s family as well. He could not even imagine, losing your family in such a way. 

She was strong, his Sansa. Stubborn, intelligent and stronger than any he had known, but feeling her, seeing her as she screamed at the men who had taken her family had almost broken something inside of him. Something he did not often acknowledge, his heart. 

He knew, just from their brief conversations that she had overcome adversity in her field, and now that he knew she had overcome the loss of half of her family, he felt respect for her grow. Unfortunately, along with that respect, concern also grew. Now it wasn’t just treasure or artifacts that the Boltons could steal, Ramsay had threatened Sansa, and Stannis would not allow for anything or anyone to hurt her. 

He was serious when he said that Edric would be their lookout, he would not and could not risk the Boltons taking them off guard. He would sort out the details later but they would have to devise a plan to ensure they were prepared. 

For now, he pulled his hat from his head and placed it over his face, one arm around Sansa as she slept against him he allowed his body to be pulled into slumber as well. 

“Is she alright?” Davos asked him softly as they made camp for the night. 

“She’s asleep,” Stannis noted, his frown in place. “Ramsay, he promised he would come for her.”

“Well, we won’t allow him to have her” Davos said, always direct. 

“I know, I just worry” He glanced to the now-parked truck where Sansa was fast asleep beneath his worn leather jacket. “His eyes….I have never seen such madness.” And truly, the glint in Ramsay’s eyes as he examined Sansa would always make his stomach turn. 

“We’ll protect her” Davos promised and Stannis could only nod in agreement. “We should reach the bend in the river tomorrow, and from there it should not be long.”

“Good” Stannis nodded. “And there’s no sign of being followed?”

“Not that I have seen” Davos replied, tending to the food cooking over the fire. “Think she is hungry?”

“Probably, it has been several hours” Stannis said. “I will wake her” he stood and moved to the truck, carefully climbing into the back. She looked so peaceful in sleep, her torso huddled under his ancient but sturdy leather jacket, red hair fanned about her like a halo. A beautiful wrench in the gears indeed. “Sansa” he whispered, lightly touching her cheek. 

She jolted awake, looking up at him with hooded eyes, “Oh it's dark” she sighed. 

“Are you hungry? Davos made dinner and I assure you it is far more palatable than when I cook” he gave her a soft smile, tucking her hair behind her ear. 

“Yes” she gave a small nod. “I could eat” she slowly sat up, his jacket falling to her waist. “Are we almost to the bend?”

“We’ll find the cave tomorrow” he assured her. “Now come, you need to eat.”

Sansa followed Stannis to the campfire, gratefully taking the fruit and meat from Davos. The fuzziness on her brain seemed to be fading as memories assaulted her. The men who had killed her mother and brothers were searching for the Eye. Had been following Stannis. It was simple, she would not allow them to have either the Eye or Stannis. And not in that order. 

The family she had once was gone, but she would do everything in her power not to protect the family she had found with these adventurers, with Stannis, Davos and Edric. 

Edric ate quickly then began to pick at his guitar as they relaxed, all of them trying to unwind from the events of the day. Stannis sat beside her now, the warmth of his body a comfort as it had been in the back of the truck. 

Thinking back, she could only imagine what they looked like, his tall frame carrying her cursing body through town and to the truck. What a sight they must have been. But still, her thoughts lingered back, he had said they were on honeymoon. A thought that had made her stomach flutter even in the sight of those disgusting men. 

Looking to his profile, she couldn’t help but smile. He had kept a cool head where she had clearly not, and made sure to get them to safety no matter what insult she hurled. 

_Your temper will get you in trouble one day_ her mother had often warned. And today, she believed those words. Things had gotten complicated and she could only hope they would be able to pull through alright. 

“Tell me Edric” Davos said. “Do you know ‘Heart of Oak’?”

Edric nodded, “Well enough.”

“Alright then” Davos nodded and they began. Sansa listened as Davos’ soft, deep voice sang a song of the Sons of the Waves charging bravely into an unknown battle. It was an older song now, from the war she imagined, but still the deep baritone of his voice echoed in the desert, soothing them all. 

“Alright, so according to what we are looking for” Sansa paced along the cliffs. “There should be a cave here” she looked around to the rocky outcroppings. It was early, just past dawn but she could not sleep any longer. 

“Right but she said in the ‘shadow of the 5’,” Stannis reasoned, joining her with his coffee in hand, journal in the other. “Perhaps it has double meaning. The shadow of the great monuments in the 5th hour?”

“Oh, yes” Sansa agreed, smiling as she moved back to his side, reading the journal over his shoulder. 

“We have a few hours yet” Stannis nodded. “We can review our notes, settle in and then this afternoon we will find our cave.”

They had left camp at the break of day, wordlessly moving on and moving towards their destination with renewed determination. Now that they knew the Bolton’s were on their trail, there was a renewed sense of urgency to find the “Dragon’s Eye”. Sansa had woken at dawn, as usual, and had gotten straight to work. She made coffee for the others, pouring herself a cup before she began to re-recite the journal's passages. She was absently pacing the rocks when Stannis emerged from his tent, pouring himself coffee before joining her. 

She knew, once they found the cave, that they would be facing riddles and booby traps. It would be dangerous, but she knew with Stannis in their group they would make it through anything. 

Davos had been bustling about the border of their camp, though she was not sure what he was up to, she suspected it had to do with the impending arrival of uninvited guests. Edric sat upon the high rock, his overlook position perfect to see the entire valley, and he had the rifle ready to go. With them in place, she felt safer, more relaxed as they grew closer to their goal. 

Looking to where Stannis stood, watching her from the rocks above, she couldn’t help but think of the Stannis she had come to know in the last few hours. While she cried and raged, he stood strong at her side, holding her until she slept. She had witnessed a new side of him and it definitely was not helping her to concentrate. 

“Stannis! Sansa! Come eat” Davos called them over for their luncheon, having already delivered Edric his share. 

They walked, side by side, to the truck where they grabbed some fruit and dried meat to eat, both anxious for the evening hours to dawn. 

“We’re being watched” Davos noted as he bit a piece of jerky. “I can feel it. So Edric knows to fire two shots, 4 seconds apart if he sees anyone that isn’t us.”

“Understood” Stannis acknowledged and Sansa made a mental note to add another ammunition pouch to her belt. While she didn’t doubt Edric’s skill, she wanted to make sure that she could get them out of any situation that should arise. 

After their lunch, she got to work reinforcing her belt and making sure her 1911 pistol was ready to go. An odd unease had settled into the camp and by the time it was nearly 5pm, they were on edge. 

“Alright” Stannis checked his wristwatch and motioned to the cliffs. “Here we go.”

Sansa and Davos followed as they followed the shadows of the cliffs to the opening of a large cavern, pitch black and long abandoned. 

“Well” Davos said. “Shall we?” he pulled several torches from his bag.

“Good idea” Stannis worked with him to light the torches, the sudden light casting them in an eerie glow. 

Sansa took one of the torches, the other hand poised over her pistol as they made their way into the cave’s dark mouth. 

It was not the most ominous cave he had ever entered, Stannis noted mentally as he lead them into the cavern. It was still dark though, the dim light of their torches barely lighting their way. 

“Look” Sansa’s voice had them all turning to the right where they saw the entire wall of the cave had been painted with the scene of a dragon devouring men. While primitive and undetailed, the scene was chilling, reminiscent of the days where dragons supposedly ruled the earth at the Targaryen’s will. 

“We’re on the right track” Stannis nodded and the three of them journeyed deeper. 

The rocky cavern floor gave way to smooth rock as they delved deeper, and soon they were in a tunnel, blocked in on 4 sides as they moved forward. Stannis paused as they reached a huge empty room, the trail leading out onto an oddly designed rope bridge. Cautiously, he took a step only to have small hands pull him back. 

“Wait!” Sansa cried as she pulled Stannis back onto the trail. “The boards, look at them!” she explained. Stannis looked again, noticing that some of the boards had the Targaryen sigil engraved on the top, while others did not. “Watch” Sansa pleaded as she removed the bandana from her neck and tossed it onto one of the boards with the Targaryen sigil. 

Silence, and then the sharp _THWICK_ of arrows as their path was caught in the crossfire. In an instant, flames exploded on the left side of their path. 

“Booby trap” Stannis said softly, tossing his own bandana onto the planks with no sigil. When only silence met them he looked back to Sansa with an odd smile. “Well met!”

“Yes, I---” her words word cut off when a single gunshot echoed in the distance. 

Two. 

Three.

Four. 

Another shot rang out and their bodies froze. 

“Boltons” Sansa’s voice was hard as she turned from the bridge and ran back into the cavern.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Heart of Oak” is an actual WWI naval song from 1915. Actually anything you’re reading here I am basing in fact as much as possible (alongside the ASOIAF lore). Song is here https://youtu.be/JIob7l8vzE4


	6. Part 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Showdown...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a bit of violence. Nothing beyond canon-typical.

Sansa ran. As quickly as her legs could carry her she was moving to the mouth of the cave. She could hear Stannis and Davos somewhere behind her, but her only thoughts were on Edric and making sure that the Boltons could not hurt him. 

_No one else_ she promised herself, they would hurt no one else!

As she rounded a corner and the incline showed the fading sunlight, she slowed her run, listening for any sign of them. Setting aside her torch, she touched the pistol on her thigh. The 1911 had been her father’s during the war, and he entrusted it to her to make sure she would be able to protect herself in the desert. He had taught her how to shoot on this gun, and taught her well. Now, she told herself, she would protect her new family. The metal was warm in her hand, like the handshake of a friend as she pulled it free and raised it. 

“BARATHEON!” Ramsay’s voice filled the air, echoing off of the rocks. “I’ve got your boy!”

“Edric” she whispered, listening as closely as she could. 

“They have Edric” Davos whispered as he and Stannis joined her against the wall, listening to the outside world. 

“Come out, Baratheon!!” Ramsay yelled again. 

“I’ll go” Stannis volunteered. 

“Like hell you will” Sansa argued. “Not a chance.”

“Can you tell where Roose is?” Davos asked. 

“Not yet, he hasn’t spoken” Sansa replied. 

“The second they see you with a pistol they will tell you to drop it” Stannis stated. “And then where does that leave us?”

Sansa thought his words over, her brain trying to find the best course of action. She could hide it, but Ramsay would search her. Stannis however…”I have an idea” she smirked. 

Edric was on his knees next to the truck, Ramsay holding a knife to his collar as Roose stood a few yards away near the entrance. He had been watching the horizon to make sure they were safe when a cold blade the touched his neck.

“What is the signal?” Roose had asked and to his shame he gave the signal, summoning his team back to the truck. Roose had dragged him down the cliffside and tossed him at Ramsay’s feet. He was bait and he hated it. 

Long minutes passed and then Sansa appeared in the cave’s mouth, followed by Davos and Stannis, all of them with their hands up. 

“Don’t hurt him” Davos demanded, their eyes meeting for a brief second as the men exchanged nods. 

“Where’s your gun princess?” Ramsay yelled. 

“In the truck” she replied and Edric looked to see that her holster was in fact empty. 

“I don’t believe you” Ramsay looked to his father. “Search her.”

Edric could only watch as Roose quickly pulled Sansa to him by her wrist, the man roughly searching her, hands lingering where they had no right to. 

“Don’t touch me” Sansa shoved him away. 

“She’s clean” Roose said, pushing her back towards Stannis. Edric watched as Sansa stumbled and went into Stannis’ arms, leaning on his strength. 

“Well now,” Ramsay smirked. “How about we negotiate a trade? The boy for the Eye.”

“Go to hell” Stannis cursed him. 

“Now, I think you should be nicer” Ramsay dug the knife into his shoulder and Edric could feel the hot trail of blood running down his chest. He did his best not to cry out, biting his tongue against the agony. “I want the Eye, and you’re going to give it to me. Everyone gives me what I want when I start cutting them” Ramsay laughed. 

“We won’t give you the Eye, we can’t, we don’t have it” Davos stated plainly. 

“Then I cut your friend up and we go into the cave to get it” Ramsay argued. 

“No” Sansa glared.

“Or” Ramsay dug his knife deeper, his eyes bright with madness. “I take what I want out of your body, princess.”

“Over my dead body” Sansa argued, standing up straighter. 

“We could say over your mother’s dead body and save time” Roose’s voice was cold and bored, his hands going to the pistol at his waist. Edric swallowed, praying silently to any God who would listen. 

Sansa leaned on Stannis’ side, not because she needed his strength but because her pistol was tucked into the back waistband of his trousers. 

_“They know I will have the gun, so they will search me, but they won’t search you” Sansa told Stannis. “Turn around” he did as she asked and she tucked the weapon between his back and the belt, pulling his shirt down over it. “Now we go and save the day.”_

“Come here, Princess” Ramsay twisted his knife and she heard Edric’s cry. “I won’t hurt you….much.”

“Okay” she stood to her full her full height. Taking a deep breath, and knowing she had to hit Ramsay first, she moved. 

She made to look like she was moving away from Stannis, but in a single deft movement she pulled her pistol from his back. Davos and Stannis moved away as she raised the gun and fired. Ramsay jolted backwards, falling away from Edric as she changed targets. She turned, dropped to a knee, and fired again. Roose’s pistol fell to the rocks and his body soon joined it. The gunfire echoed along the rocks, carrying off into the distance to leave them in eerie silence. It happened in only seconds but to her it seemed like a lifetime.

Davos ran to Edric’s side, quickly checking Ramsay’s pulse before he tended to Edric’s bleeding shoulder. Sansa ran to check Roose and was glad to see she had shot true and he wouldn’t be hurting anyone else ever again. 

“Is he alright?” she holstered her weapon and stood to go where Edric and Davos were only to have Stannis’ strong hands violently grab her shoulders.

“DON’T YOU EVER DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT AGAIN” he didn’t yell, but the fury behind his soft voice was terrifying. She looked into his stormy eyes and they full of terror as she shook her. 

“Stannis---” but the next instant she was in his arms, his face buried in her hair as he held her tighter than she could ever remember being held. He was shaking, she realized, and had yelled because he was scared. She relaxed against him, wrapping her arms around his back. 

“Crazy woman” he mumbled against her hair and she laughed softly. 

“I did what I had to...” she murmured against his shoulder. 

“He’ll be alright once we stitch this” Davos announced, moving to get the medical supplies from the truck.

“I can help” Stannis told Davos, his arms slowly releasing her. She smiled up at him as he moved back, seeking to assure him once more that they were alright. “We’ll talk later” he promised softly and moved to help Davos with Edric. 

Sansa sighed deeply, her hands now beginning to tremble as the adrenaline wore off. Glancing to Ramsay and then Roose, it started to set in that she had killed two men. Two bad, horrible men, but she had killed…

Deciding she needed to keep busy, she moved to Ramsay’s body and grabbed his wrists to drag him to where his father was. Though Stannis gave her an odd look, she kept working. Once the men were side by side she searched their pockets, piled their weapons and ammunition along with anything else they could use. Tomorrow they could bury the bodies, it would soon be too dark to do it. 

Carrying the newfound supplies back to the truck, she grabbed the necessary items to start a fire and got to work. It was on her third trip to the truck that she felt Stannis’ presence behind her and she turned to face him. 

“Sansa” he whispered in the near darkness. 

She couldn’t have stopped it if she tried, the sob tore from her chest as she all but flung herself into his arms. Fear and the adrenaline dump washed over her and she cried, long gasping sobs as he held her, his deep voice promising her over and over that she was alright. 

That night beside the fire, Edric slept off the alcohol they had given him to numb the pain and Davos sat silently beside him, keeping watch in a very paternal way. Tomorrow they would rise early, bury the bodies and then resume their trek into the cave. 

None of them were keen on returning to their tents tonight, all more than happy to be in each other’s company and alive. Today they had faced their mortality and came out victorious. Edric would heal and Sansa would come to realize that she had only killed to protect and in doing so had avenged her family. The Bolton’s were gone and with them their legacy of greed and pain.

Sansa sat beside him, and occasionally Stannis would look down to ensure that she was still there. She had terrified him today, the thought of losing her terrified him and he had to face the cold hard truth of his feelings for her. 

She leaned against him and his arm went around her as she covered him with the blanket she had wrapped around her. Without thinking, or without thought of their audience, he placed a kiss on the crown of her hair and she sighed. She would be asleep soon, he mused, looking back to the fire. 

Through the flames Davos was watching him with an approving smile and upon being caught his oldest friend gave him an approving nod. Davos, who knew him so well, could probably guess exactly what Stannis was thinking in that moment. 

_How am I going to keep her?_

The thought haunted him. How would he be able to keep her at his side? Would she even want to stay? He did not have much to offer, he wasn’t young or handsome, but he felt connected to her on a level beyond that. A meeting of minds, of souls. He had gone nearly 40 years without meeting a woman like her, and he knew that if he let her go he would never find another one that could compare. 

He had not considered marriage before, but now it seemed to be all he could think of in her presence. Carefully removing his hat he set it beside him in the sand, running his hand over his short greying hair. He sighed, gently as not to wake her, and made his choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for pic sets and more shenanigans!  
> @the-red-wolf or https://the-red-wulf.tumblr.com/


	7. Part 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once more into the breach...

“Ready?” Stannis asked his team as they stood at the mouth of the cave once more. They had risen early, after what little sleep they’d had and laid the Boltons to rest in unmarked graves in the desert. He felt it was more than they deserved. 

Now, he Sansa, Davos and Edric, who had his arm in a sling, stood together preparing to tackle the cave together. 

“Ready” Davos’ gruff voice agreed and Sansa nodded, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. 

He knew, deep down, she was struggling with yesterday, but he was proud of her. She had saved them all, not to mention she was every bit the marksman she claimed to be. 

“Let’s go” Edric encouraged, raising his torch in his good arm. 

“Alright” Stannis lead the group as they made their way inside and back to the rope bridge. “Remember, only step on the boards withOUT the sigil” he warned and they made their way into new territory. 

The bridge’s other end was in darkness, so they could only follow it across the cavern and pray the other end was safe. Stannis was in front with Sansa and Edric in the middle and Davos bringing up the rear. Each was careful to watch their steps, all of them too afraid to speak as they moved. 

After what seemed like an eternity walking in darkness, Stannis glimpsed the otherside. It was another rocky platform that gave way to another cave entrance. The moment his boots hit the rocks he turned to make sure the others got across all right. 

“Easy as pie” Sansa beamed as Edric stepped onto the dirt. 

“Stick together” Stannis cautioned as they moved forward. Leading them into the tunnel, they all kept vigilant, not wanting to be caught in a trap. The tunnel was cold, a breeze rolling past them that carried the scent of winter, even amongst the Egyptian desert. 

“Stannis look” Sansa’s voice spoke, filled with wonder as she stared at the tunnel walls.

He followed her gaze and raised his torch and saw the dozens of paintings, primitive and crude, all depicting the Targaryen legends of the ‘Night King’. “Fascinating” he drank them all in. Daenerys speaks of the ‘Night King’ in her journals, a Targaryen king cast down by his family and his people, who rose from the dead to consume all living flesh in the kingdom. Some paintings depicted spirals and circles, others showed the haunting images of skeletal men with glowing eyes. 

“This is the ‘Night King’ right?” Sansa asked, raising her torch to illuminate the depiction of a skeletal man atop a frozen dragon. 

“Indeed” Stannis nodded. “I have never seen him depicted on a dragon before.”

“It's possible though” Sansa looked to him. “If he was of the blood, right?”

“Entirely possible,” he confirmed. “According the dragon rider’s of course. But this dragon…”

“Its undead” Davos noted plainly. “Distorted.”

“Could it be waiting” Sansa motioned to the tunnel before them. “The dragon?”

“I doubt it” Stannis shook his head. “We have not found a dragon skeleton yet, at least not a confirmed one. Its likely just legends and stories. We should keep moving” he decided, leading his team onward. 

They walked in silence for several minutes before the tunnel's mouth opened up to a large cavern. 

“There’s torches along the walls” Edric spotted and the team got to work lighting the torches around the round room. 

Once illuminated they could see that on the other side a large stone door awaited them, this one with a complicated codex. On each half of the door were large dials engraved with runes and Valyrian. 

“A lock then” Sansa moved forward to touch the door, the cold stone reverberating through her. 

“Another riddle,” Stannis nodded, setting his torch aside to focus on it completely. 

“In the time when the dragons must dance” Sansa began to read the Valyrian on the door. “The fire must flow. Dark Sister cuts down her enemies and the…”

“No, not cuts, strikes” Stannis corrected and she checked the text.

“Oh yes, thank you.”

He nodded and they continued reading, “Blackfyre below shall consume them and lay waste to the Redgrass fields” he paused. “Bloody riddles." 

“So time…” Sansa started back at the beginning. 

“Positions on the dial, I should presume” Stannis added. 

“Yes, of course” she agreed. “Dance of the Dragons, civil war under Aegon II, who also wrote some of the code we have already used.”

“Alright so 2 first,” Stannis nodded. “Fire must flow. Wildfire?”

“Aerys II had it planted all over the city” Sansa agreed. “So its 2, 2? Or 4?”

“The breaks in the sentences indicate it would be one thought, so 4” Stannis reasoned. 

“Are you sure, because--”

“Sansa,” he smiled. “Trust me” he smiled then, watching as her own mouth smiled in return.

“Alright” she gave a nod and moved on. “Dark Sister cuts--no, strikes down her enemies...Visenya?”

“She had no number associated with her title, and in the end Dark Sister had so many wielders it is hard to tell” Stannis replied, thinking back on the legendary sword of the Targaryen family. It was rumored to have been lost at the Wall in commission of the Night’s Watch and perhaps someday he would travel there to find it. 

“But the second part, the Redgrass Fields is where the Blackfyre Rebellion defeated King Daeron II” she pointed out. 

“Alright, so that is 4 and then 2.”

“So we turn them together or separately?” Sansa asked, examining the locks again. 

“They’re identical, so I would reason they need to be moved identically” Stannis replied. 

Davos listened as Stannis and Sansa read the inscriptions aloud and moved to check on Edric who was leaning against the cave’s wall. 

“Holding up?” Davos asked the young boy. 

He nodded, “Yeah, pain is dulled as long as I don’t move. Or breathe” he chuckled. 

“Then don’t move or breathe” he smiled at the boy. 

“For what it's worth, I’m sorry” Edric said, his voice full of sadness. “I didn’t see them--”

“None of that” Davos cut him off, gently touching his good shoulder. “Had they caught us in the cave we’d have had nowhere to go. Better to fight in the open.”

“I could have fought, I could have---”

“Ramsay had a knife near your throat son, you can hardly fight your way out of that” Davos assured him.

“I’ll do better next time” Edric promised. 

“There’ll be no Boltons next time” Davos smirked and Edric laughed. “Don’t worry, we’re a team, a family, and we will protect each other.”

“Speaking of family” Edric motioned to where Sansa and Stannis were clearly deep in discussion about the door. “If the Eye is on the other side of that door, you owe me Ten Gold Dragons.”

Davos laughed softly, “Aye, I will.”

“Alright” Stannis nodded to Sansa. “We’re agreed then, we turn them to 4 o’clock, then counter-clockwise back around to 2?”

“I don’t agree, but I am trusting you will be right” Sansa nodded. 

“Alright” they took their places at each dial. “Ready? 3...2...1” he counted down and in sync they turned the dials to their agreed positions and when they hit the final one they both stepped back as the door began to rumble. 

“We did it” Sansa smiled. 

“We did something” Stannis scoffed and they both watched as dust and debris filled the air around them. Sansa laughed, moving back to his side as the door began to creak and shift open. He felt his breath catch in his throat as the stone doors parted to reveal a large, dark chamber beyond. 

“You were right, Dr. Baratheon” Sansa smirked, grabbing a torch off the wall before turning back to him. “Ready?” 

He grabbed his torch and moved to her side, both of them stepping into the chamber together. Glancing around he could tell by the air the chamber was large, but incredibly dark. Looking to his side he saw the glint of an oil duct. Moving his torch, he briefly touched the flame to the oil and watched as the surface lit, spreading quickly around the entire room until they saw they stood face to face with a dragon.


	8. Part 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Look into my eye....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the amazing comments and support! I am not sorry about the dragon cliff hanger, but I think you'll like this chapter! <3

“It’s beautiful” Sansa gasped, marvelling at the perfectly preserved dragon skeleton that stared them down. It was massive, the skull itself taller than her, and the body was larger than any vehicle she had ever seen, wrapping about the back of the cave as if it had curled up to rest eternally. 

“Is that a real dragon” Edric gaped from the entrance, his eyes wide. 

“It is” Stannis nodded, his eyes travelling over the long length of the dragon skeleton’s body and down to the thin fragments that had made up its wings. “This find is beyond unprecedented.”

“Stannis” Sansa moved to his side. “Look” she pointed to the vacant eye socket of the Dragon’s skull and there, gleaming in the firelight was the Dragon's Eye. “We did it.”

“It’s…” Stannis tried to form words but he was speechless. 

“Go” Sansa smiled at him, encouraging him to claim his treasure. 

Stannis took a step toward the eye but stopped, turning back to Sansa. “Together” he took her hand, their fingers twining together and they walked side-by-side towards the Eye. In truth it was much larger than she expected, probably nearly a foot tall, edges rough where it had been carved out of dragon glass, a band of rubies embedded around the middle. 

“Check for traps” Stannis warned her as they approached. 

“I know” she assured him.

“Wires or any sort of device or trigger” Stannis continued. 

“Stannis” she squeezed his hand gently in hers. “I know.”

He gave a curt nod and released her hand, both of them searching every angle they could to see if there was a trick holding it in place. “The back, there” he noticed and she looked.

“A movement trigger” she guessed. “Nice catch. It looks like we can cut the wire, there” she pointed and Stannis nodded, producing his pocket knife. Carefully touching the blade to the wire, he flicked his write to sever the wire between the Eye and the skeleton. “Alright” Sansa took a step back. 

Stannis moved in front of the Eye, his heart racing as he reached out to touch the dragon glass. It was cold, damned cold for being in the middle of the desert and at his touch, electricity seemed to course through his body. Slowly he lifted the Eye from its base, impressed by its substantial weight. He paused, ensuring that they had disabled anything that would trigger upon the Eye being lifted. He sighed in relief as the cave was only silent.

“Edric” he beckoned and the boy opened the wooden crate he had been tasked with carrying. 

Taking steady steps, Stannis crossed to place the Eye in the padded material inside the crate, awestruck by how beautiful it really was. Even in shadow it seemed to gleam. A piece of dragon glass this size had never been found, only fragments of blades or broken arrowheads, but this--it was incredible. This was beyond any value he could conjur. 

“How does it feel, Dr. Baratheon” Sansa smiled, moving to his side as he stood. “To find the world’s most precious gem?”

Stannis smiled then, a true, real smile. He raised his hand to take his hat from his head, tossing it into the sand, “I managed to find two on this expedition” he guided her into his arms and lowered his lips to hers. 

Sansa sighed, melting into his embrace as he kissed her, claimed her. Her arms wound around his shoulders, clinging to his strength as he devoured her mouth. Her Dr. Baratheon, her Stannis, she beamed as she savoured his kiss. She felt it in every inch of her body, warmth that could not be blamed on the desert coursing through her as his lips teased hers, his hands trailing over her back. 

Eventually he pulled back, looking down at her with a smug smile on his face, “You’re going to have to marry me, you know,” he said. 

“Am I now?”

“You are” he pulled her closer, cupping her cheek. “Because I can find any treasure in the world, and if you vanish I will find you.” 

“You sound like you love me, Dr. Baratheon” she whispered. 

“I’d be a fool not to” he kissed her softly. “Marry me, Sansa? Stay with me always. I don’t have much to offer, but I swear to you that I will love you. Every day and every night, I will love you.”

She blinked away tears, “Dragons couldn’t drag me away” she pulled his lips to hers once more.

Neither of them noticed their companions as they settled their bet. 

It took months, long days of excavation, cataloging and photographing every single piece, but eventually they were on the steamship “Lyanna” headed back to London. Both the Eye and the Dragon skeleton safely stored in the ships cargo bay with two dozen London Museum guards on watch. The team now found themselves on the deck, sharing a quiet drink as they prepared to go home. 

In finding the Eye, they had also discovered the world’s first Dragon, confirming the legends of the Targaryen family. The media outlets, news and radio, were clamoring to get their attention, all of them desperate for an exclusive. The telegrams and photographers had become overwhelming before they boarded the ship, they were grateful for the respite. And as such were enjoying their much earned relaxation, the four of them sharing a celebratory bottle of champagne. 

“The museum is already talking about hosting a grand party upon on return” Stannis told his team. “They are determined to make this event as big as possible.”

“It will be bedlam” Davos agreed. “If we thought it was bad after the journal, it will be a veritable circus now. And when they catch wind of the engagement..” he shook his head. 

“More important than the Eye,” Edric smiled, raising his glass. “To the future Dr and Mrs Baratheon.”

“Here here” Davos agreed, raising his glass. 

Stannis held Sansa close to his side on the deck’s bench, her warm body snuggled to his as if it never wished to be parted. And in truth, he never wanted to be parted from her either. 

He had decided, that night by the campfire, that he would do all he could to convince her to marry him. Any adventure, expedition or discovery would be worthless without her at his side. Now they would be part of history, together, and that was something he had never hoped to find. 

“I wish--” Sansa paused. “I don’t want a big, crazy wedding” she admitted softly. “Once we’re back in London, nothing will be private.” 

“The media will definitely be tracking our every move” Stannis admitted with a frown. 

Edric chuckled, setting his glass aside to touch his still-sore shoulder, “We’re on a ship, we have a ship’s captain” me motioned to Davos. “Why should the wedding wait?”

“Oh!” Sansa smiled. “That would be perfect!” 

Stannis looked to Davos who gave a small shrug, “Technically I am not _this_ ship’s captain, but international waters being what they are….”

Stannis looked then to Sansa who was looking up at him with wide, hopeful eyes, “Yeah?”

“Yeah” she laughed, her heart lighter than it had been in years. 

“Alright then, stand up” Davos instructed them and they all stood beside their table. “Stannis, take Sansa’s hands,” he said. “Now” he continued. “Who comes today to be joined?”

“Stannis, House Baratheon, first of his name” Stannis said softly, looking at Sansa. 

“Sansa, House Stark, first of her name” she beamed. 

“You may cloak the bride and bring her under her protection” Davos said. 

Stannis smiled, slipping his worn leather jacket from his shoulders, the same leather jacket that Sansa had worn for comfort in the desert, and placed it over her shoulders. 

“That works” Davos chuckled. “Now, say the words.”

Together, they spoke “Father, Smith Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger” they were looking only at each other as they spoke. 

“I am hers and she is mine” Stannis spoke. 

“I am his and he is mine” Sansa echoed. 

“From this day until the end of my days” they said together. 

“With this kiss, I pledge my love” Stannis said softly, pulling Sansa into his arms, taking her lips in a soft, gentle kiss. 

Applause around them filled the air and they broke apart to see they had attracted the attention of all those on the deck, all joining in on their celebration. Stannis held her tight and Sansa could only laugh, snuggling close to her husband's side as the other travelers raised their drinks in toast. 

Stannis lay awake in their now shared cabin on the “Lyanna”, his mind reeling at the events of the evening. Beside him Sansa, his wife, lay softly sleeping. 

His wife, Gods he could hardly imagine it was real. All those months ago when she had landed, quite literally, in his life, he never would have imagined that they would be here. Wedded and bedded, his beautiful, vibrant bride had changed everything. He left London a staunch bachelor, dedicated to his work and along the way he found the woman he could share everything with. She was his match in every way, and now he would never have to let her go. 

Sighing softly in her sleep, she moved closer to the warmth of his body, her wild red hair loose over the pillows. He had once admired her hair as she tamed it into a braid, he thought it beautiful then. But now that he had experienced it spread across their pillows as he made love to her, it was simply ethereal. 

She had been a maid, and he didn't have much experience beyond a clumsy affair, but as they had in the field, their bodies worked instinctually to cradle the other. So in tune that it was as if they had always been one body and one soul. Both of them lost to pleasure. 

He felt his chest ache with unfamiliar emotion as he watched her, his beautiful bride. Soon they would be in London and he would have to explain to Ser Eddard that, while on the mission Eddard was funding, Stannis had married his daughter. That was not a conversation he was looking forward to, but he knew that they would stand united, husband and wife, against the world. 

“Stannis” she whispered softly. “Sleep” she mumbled, tucking closer to his side. 

“Sleep, darling” he assured her, kissing her forehead before he laid his head on the pillow beside her. He watched her, relaxed in slumber, porcelain skin now liberally dotted with freckles. This, he decided, was the find of the century.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not finished yet! Don't worry!


	9. Part 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Home

The scene that awaited them at the port could only be described as absolute chaos. Sansa and Stannis gaped at the sheer number of people that had crowded onto the docks to meet them. The only open area was around the large trucks sent by the London Museum, armed guards ensuring that no one got too close. 

“This is incredible,” she whispered to her husband. 

“We’ve proven the veracity of a thousand Targaryen Legends,” he stated. “And we’ve given them a dragon. Just stay close to me as we disembark.”

“Of course” she took his hand and they went to meet Edric and Davos near the gangplank. 

“Ready?” Stannis asked his team.

Davos clapped him on the shoulder, “Lead the way.”

Taking a deep breath, glancing once more to Sansa, Stannis lead them as they crossed onto shore. At water level the screaming of the crowd was overwhelming, people waving flags and banners in hopes to get their attention. To her credit, Sansa smiled and waved at them all, holding his hand tight as they hit the docks. 

He felt her squeeze his hand and turned to see Ser Eddard waiting for them beside the museum trucks, a shorter brunette girl at his side. That must be Arya, Stannis reasoned. Another girl in men's clothing with a cocky tilt of her shoulders, just like her sister. 

The team moved to greet him, Sansa’s hand slipping from his to embrace her father, “Daddy” she hugged him tightly before hugging the brunette. “I am so glad to see you both” she beamed, and he was grateful when she moved back to his side and retook his hand. 

“Welcome home” Eddard shook their hands. “I dare say you exceeded any and all expectations” he looked then to Stannis and Sansa’s joined hands, silently raising his brow in question. “Is there something I should be aware of?” 

“Ser Eddard” Stannis began, clearing his throat. “I supposed I have gone about it backwards, I should have asked permission before I married your daughter. But I give you my word that--”

“You’re married?” the small brunette gaped at her sister. 

“We are” Stannis replied, his voice confident. “Ser Eddard, I---I love her. You have raised an incredible, intelligent daughter” he paused to glance at Arya. “More than one if I had to guess. Sansa is, well, she is everything.” 

Eddard gave a stiff nod, looking to his daughter who was beaming with happiness, “Well, I believe in this case, you should just call me Ned.”

Stannis sighed in relief as the two men shook hands once more, their attention soon turning to where the dock crew was now setting about unloading the dozens of wooden crates they’d brought back. 

“I cannot wait to see the dragon” Arya smiled, eyes following the first crate as it was craned through the sky. 

Sansa put her arm around her sister, “The skull is bigger than anything I have ever seen” she explained and Arya’s eyes went wide. At ten and six, she could tell Arya would be following in her footsteps, maybe she would even join them. Glancing to Edric, Sansa noticed that the young man was staring at Arya with stars in his eyes. _Interesting_ she looked to Davos who had also noticed and gave her a small shrug. 

A family, Davos had called them, and that was very true. Perhaps someday they would grow once more. 

“Sansa, are you ready?” Stannis called out to her, tucking his keys in his pocket. 

She had moved into his townhouse with him, a modest space that he used only when in town, and the first thing both of them did was relish in the indoor plumbing, each quite dedicated to making sure the other was clean. 

“Of course” she came down the stairs and he couldn’t help but marvel at his beautiful wife. They’d been in London for nearly a week, working at the museum to reassemble the dragon inside the newest expansion wing, this one dedicated to the Targaryen Dynasty. In the desert he had known her to be the most beautiful woman he had ever met, but here in the city she was ...beyond anything he could imagine. 

Today her hair was styled into a clean chignon, leaving her slender neck exposed, which was why he could not resist pulling her into his arms to place soft kisses along the column of her throat. She wore a white shirt, tucked into a high waisted shin length tan skirt, a blue scarf under her collar and tied demurely over her chest. Her oxford heels making her legs impossibly long and he already couldn’t wait to get her home tonight. She looked sophisticated and mouth watering. 

“We’ll be late. Again” she smiled. “If you keep that up, Dr. Baratheon.”

“They can wait a few minutes” he cupped her cheek as he softly kissed her, resting his forehead against hers. “Each day I find more reason to fall deeper in love with you.”

“I feel the same” she smiled, touching the lapels of his grey suit. “Now come on,’” she took his hand. “We’re placing the Eye today, Father and Arya will be there.”

Her enthusiasm was contagious and he gave her one last kiss, “Alright wife, lead the way.”

“It’s gigantic” Arya stared at the dragon’s skull. “I mean, how big was it with muscle and flesh?” 

“According to legends, they could breathe fire and were known to take down ships in a single attack” Sansa told her sister, not pausing her work unpacking photos from the crates. While they had worked on the dragon, they also spent quite a bit of time documenting all of the cave paintings, both in photographs and drawings. As it turned out, Edric was a very good photographer and was integral to this process. 

“Were you scared?” Arya asked her older sister, moving to look at the pictures. 

“I was once” Sansa admitted. “I told Father already, but...the Boltons were there.”

“They were?!” Arya yelled. 

“They...they were horrible, Arya, just horrible” Sansa frowned at the memory. 

“What happened?”

“I killed them” Sansa whispered. 

“Good” Arya nodded resolutely, always so much braver than Sansa had been. Sansa gave a small laugh, handing Arya the picture of the Night King drawing, showing how small the man looked atop the dragon. “They must have been a sight to see, flying over the world.”

The sisters worked side by side, idly catching up as they unpacked the photos and drawings. Across the room Stannis and Davos were directing the crew who was rebuilding the skeleton, her father looking on in wonder. 

She discovered that her memory was correct and Stannis looked just as fantastic in a suit now as he had 5 years ago in the lecture hall. Now clean-shaven, she loved to nuzzle against the sharp line of his jaw or trail kisses across it as they made love. 

Sansa felt her gaze follow her husband, looking quite dapper now that he had discarded his suit jacket and wore the sleeves of his shirt rolled up. She had learned he was quite the romantic, showing his love in a hundred small ways every day. A soft kiss, cupping her cheek, resting his hand on her leg as they read together on the couch, the fresh flowers in their kitchen, their shared bubble baths, all of it was like a dream. 

Their first dinner with her family had been slightly awkward, her father admitting that he would have liked to have been there to see her get married while Arya idly noted at how practical it was to just get it out of the way on board the ship. But she could tell her father approved in her choice, clearly able to see how well matched they were. How happy they were. 

And they were happy, she smiled to herself, opening the next crate to see that it held no artifacts, only a vase of red roses. Turning back to Stannis she saw him watching her, that secret smile on his lips as he gave a small nod before returning to the bones. The skull was finally in place, and the next step would be to add the Eye to its proper resting place in the socket. 

“Gods you two are disgusting” Arya laughed as she spotted the roses. “Where can I find one?”

Sansa smirked at her sister, “Edric is ten and seven, quite the novice adventurer” she explained. 

“I suppose he is rather cute” Arya agreed, and never one to linger on talk of romance, she moved to the largest crate in their pile. “Is this it?” 

“It is” Sansa nodded, handing her sister the pry bar. “Go on.”

Arya’s eyes were wide with wonder as she worked the crates lid carefully. Sansa felt arms come around her waist smiled up at Stannis as the men joined them, all watching as the youngest Stark pulled back the lid to reveal the Eye. 

“By the Old Gods” Eddard gaped at the dragon glass piece, the room around them seeming to hum with new energy. 

“I would estimate it at around 20 kilograms, perhaps a bit less” Stannis said. “Combined with the 24 rubies around the diameter, the value is...unprecedented. Shall we put it in place?”

“Absolutely” her father smiled, obviously pleased with how fruitful the expedition had been. 

Stannis moved from her side to lift the Eye, easily carrying it over to where the skull lay, positioned exactly as it had been in Egypt. Now that all the tricks and traps had been deactivated, he set the Eye on its base confidently. 

However as it touched the skull, a loud crash echoed in the room. 

They all spun around, prepared to face an unnamed attacker, hearts in their throats as they looked to see a very sheepish looking Edric. He stood watching them by the crates, having clearly knocked over several of them, piles of wood, paper and photographs at his feet. Sansa couldn’t help it, she laughed loudly, the others soon joining as she covered her heart with her hand. 

“Never do that again” Davos laughed to Edric who looked relieved, a smile reaching the young man’s lips as Arya moved to help him pick up the mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Winding down, but not quite the end.


	10. Part 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gala

“Don’t be nervous” Sansa smiled up at her husband as she helped him to adjust his bow tie in the calm, quiet of their bedroom. 

“I’m not nervous” he replied quickly, too quickly. 

“Stannis” she laughed softly. “I know you.”

His expression softened, “Better than anyone” he whispered, cupping her cheek to kiss her. “I don’t like crowds. Teaching is one thing, everyone is confined to a seat, but parties…”

“Yes but this time will be different, I will be with you” she encouraged, smoothing her hands down his chest. He cut a fine figure in his black tuxedo, the white of his shirt and waistcoat a crisp contrast that made him look impossibly strong. 

Tonight was the “Targaryen Gala’, the party the London Museum had organized to celebrate the opening of the new wing, and the arrival of their newest artifacts. It was to be a grand, formal affair and she knew that it would like be overwhelming for her aloof husband. She, however, was excited to see everyone’s reactions to the dragon, one they had nicknamed ‘Rhaegal’, and the Dragon’s Eye. 

It didn’t hurt that she would get to admire her husband in his tuxedo. 

“Come” she moved from his side, her beaded dress swishing around her shins as she walked to grab her gloves. “We will tackle it just like anything else, together.”

He gave a cut nod, “Together.”

The crowd outside the museum was immense, both Sansa and Stannis gaping from their town car as it arrived at the steps. 

Taking a deep breath as the driver opened the door, Stannis stepped out into the spotlight before turning to offer his hand to Sansa. Her gloved hand slid into his own and she stepped out into the chaos of flashbulbs and screaming reporters. 

“Dr. Baratheon!”

“Mrs. Baratheon!”

The cries and shouts of them all blurred into a jumbled mess as Sansa took his arms and they walked inside. His wife was simply stunning beside him, clad in a black beaded sheath dress that ended in beaded fringe at her shins, it was both elegant and jaw-dropping at the same time. Her hair had been tamed into an elegant chignon once more, this time with a beaded comb pinned to the top. Her black gloves went over her elbow, highlighting her porcelain skin and the black heels on her feet made her even easier to kiss. 

They walked along the red carpet, pausing only to smile for the occasional photo before making their way inside the now-packed museum. 

Formally attired men and women filled the new Targaryen wing, most gathered around the intimidating sight of the dragon that now rest in the corner. Champagne was freely flowing and servers bustled about with hordevours on silver platters. 

“Sansa!” Arya’s voice called to them and they saw that they were the last of their group to arrive. Ned, Davos and Edric all wore tuxedos and Stannis was quite surprised to see Arya in a gown similar to Sansa’s, only in a deep purple. Edric also seemed to have noticed, much more thoroughly. 

“Good evening” Stannis greeted his father-in-law with a handshake. 

“It seems like everyone and their mother’s have turned out to see your dragon” Ned smiled. “The museum said they have already had record donations and more than a few inquiries as to your next expedition.”

Stannis looked to his team, “We haven’t decided on that yet, but I am glad to know that the museum is benefitting well.”

“It seems I made the right choice in funding you” Ned smiled, glancing to Sansa. “And now that you’re officially a part of the Stark family, I should hope I have first right of refusal on your next expedition.”

“Absolutely” Stannis gave him a nod as one of the museum curators, Sam Tarly, approached.

“Dr. Baratheon, I was wondering if I could steal you for a quick word” Sam asked in his usual uncertain tone. 

“Alright” he reluctantly released Sansa’s arm and quickly kissed her cheek before ducking away. 

“Sansa, come look at how the paintings turned out” Arya smiled, taking her hand and tugging her away from the group toward the wall of cave paintings they had recreated. Now, with the museum lighting in place it truly reminded her of the caves. 

“It is perfect” Sansa beamed. Movement to her right caught her eye and she saw a tall blonde man watching her keenly. She did not recognize him, she wondered who he could be, her eyes going to the bright gold of his right hand. Interesting prosthetic she mused. The man, upon seeing she had noticed him, raised the champagne glass in his flesh hand in toast, smiling a very boywish, mischievous smile. 

“Who is that?” Arya asked, never failing to notice the details.

“I have no idea,” Sansa shook her head, refocusing on the cave paintings. Aryan must have waved Davos and Edric over, because soon they joined her and Arya immediately repeated her question. 

“Who is that?” she motioned to the blonde man who now stood talking to another taller blonde man.

“That” Davos sighed, “Is Lord Tywin Lannister and his son, Dr. Jaime Lannister.”

“That’s Dr. Lannister?” Sansa asked, quite familiar with his name. He was a world-renowned anthropologist most commonly known for his thesis given on the behavior of the Targaryen Dynasty and their family dynamics. She had tried to attend one of his lectures back at Oxford but it had already been overbooked and she had been quite disappointed. She didn’t realize that he was so young. 

“Yes” Davos explained. “He had been trailing after Stannis for years, trying to get him to collaborate on a book.”

“Why wouldn’t Stannis do that?” Sansa asked. “It seems it could be mutually beneficial.”

“Stannis doesn’t want to get under the thumb of Lord Lannister” he nodded to the imposing blonde. “Once you’re under his thumb, you never get out.”

“Ah” Sansa nodded in understanding, well aware of the academic world and its financiers. 

Stannis had just finished with Sam when he noticed that Jaime Lannister had arrived, his father in tow and that Jaime’s eyes were affixed on Sansa. 

No, Stannis strode quickly back to his wife, putting an arm about her waist, fingers lingering over her hip in what he hoped read as a warning. _She's taken._ For years Jaime had been asking to collaborate in regards to his previous discoveries on the Targaryen’s, but Stannis knew how working with the Lannister’s went. They would own his work and never let him forget it. 

“Stannis” Sansa smiled over at him, as if somehow sensing his unease. He felt her tense against his side a few seconds before the smooth voice joined them. He noticed then that Edric and Arya had taken that opportunity to slip away from their group.

“Dr. Baratheon, a pleasure to see you” Jaime smiled, not offering to shake his hand, merely nodding his head. Thankfully his father was still across the room, Stannis noted. 

“Dr. Lannister” Stannis replied. 

“Thank you for coming” Davos said, his tone, as always, congenial. 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world” Jaime replied, his eyes turning to Sansa. “I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”

“No, Dr. Lannister, though I almost attended one of your lectures in Oxford” she smiled brightly and Stannis felt a surge of jealousy strike his gut. “I’m Sansa Baratheon,” she explained. 

“Of course, the beauty from the newspapers” Jaime replied smoothly. 

“Hardly” Sansa quipped. “Merely a devoted _wife_ ” she stated and Stannis gave her hip a gentle squeeze of appreciation. 

Jaime gave his usual million dollar smile, “Quite the find indeed” he caught her hint. “I will congratulate you, Stannis, that dragon is stunning.”

Grateful that Jaime’s eyes were no longer on his wife, Stannis nodded, “An unexpected find” he fixed his eyes on the younger doctor. “I would have settled for the Eye.”

“Instead you got the Eye, a dragon and a wife” Jaime raised his glass once more. “A successful expedition if I have heard of one.”

“Indeed” Stannis agreed. 

"Still haven't changed your mind on working with me, then?" Jaime asked.

"Not at all" Stannis stated. 

“Well then, if you will excuse me” Jaime nodded his head and gave one last look to Sansa. “It was my pleasure” and with that he was gone. 

Davos excused himself as well, leaving them in front of the cave paintings, “Stannis” Sansa smiled. 

“I don’t like the way he looks at you” Stannis said softly, pulling her close. 

“And how is that” Sansa smoothed her gloves over his lapels. 

“Like you’re some treasure to be stolen” Stannis softly kissed her, uncaring of the crowded party around them. “You’re my wife.”

“I am fairly certain he understood that” she laughed softly. “My darling Stannis, I love you.”

“I love you” he replied without pause, never tiring of hearing her say those words. “I was an ass” he whispered. “Treated you terribly, all because I knew the second you stepped off that plane that you were trouble.”

“Oh, trouble am I?” she smirked. “And here I thought it was because I was so brilliantly beautiful--”

“You are” he said, his tone serious. “And smart, and so damned clever” he kissed her once more. “Not a bad shot either.”

“Terrible man” she kissed him back, both of them careful not to cause too much of a scandal. 

When he reluctantly released her, it was to only to realize that their small, private exchange had not gone unnoticed. In fact, it felt as if the whole room were watching them. Stannis felt his cheeks heat as Sansa hid behind him. 

“To The Baratheons” Davos broke the silence by raising his glass. 

“The Baratheons!” the room echoed. 

Many hours later, when they finally were able to slip away from the party, Sansa walked at her husband's side, arm on his as always. 

“How do you feel about snow?” she asked him with a smile. 

“The snow? It's damned cold, why?”

“Because there are caves rumored, beyond the wall” she stopped him on the museum steps. “Where the legends of the mystic white walkers began.”

“Oh?” he pulled her into his arms. 

“We could share a tent” she whispered. “Keep each other warm.”

“You _are_ trouble” Stannis smiled, taking her lips once more, this time in a sinfully deep kiss, uncaring that some of the photographers still lingered outside. 

Sands did not mind, she had gone in search of adventure and come back with the love of her life. 

Life was good, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Winding down, epilogue left.


	11. Part 11 - Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all SO much for sticking with me! I hope you LOVE this story! While I am wrapping it up, I may be adding 'companion' adventures to this series, giving our love birds a bit more adventure and excitement. 
> 
> I love you all.

“What about those?” the voice above him asked with undisguised curiosity. 

“Those” Stannis looked to the jars along the shelf. “Are Canopic Jars, used in the ancient practice of embalming.”

“Elmbamm--oh mummies?” the voice laughed. “Mom told me about those!”

“But did she show you one?” Stannis smiled up at his 5-year old son who currently sat on his shoulders. They were currently in Cairo, having been summoned by Sansa’s old friends to help with several rather tricky coded translations. Having been home in London for some time, they decided it was time to make their first trip as a family of four.

“No!” Steffon pat his head now nearly-bald head. “I want to see!”

Stannis laughed, carrying his son to the large sarcophagus that was on the next aisle over, “That is the Pharaoh Tutankhamun,” he explained. “According to research, he was less than 20 years old when he died.”

“That is a _real_ mummy?” Steffon leaned closer and Stannis laughed, pulling his son from his shoulders to hold him closer to the display. 

“Real as they come, my boy” Stannis smiled. 

“Did you find him?” Steffor asked, turning back to him. 

“No, he was found by the Earl of Carnarvon and believed to be cursed” Stannis said dramatically. 

“Mom said curses aren’t real!” Steffon shook his head, already so serious and reminding him more of himself everyday. 

“She did?” Stannis smirked. “Huh.”

“I did” Sansa’s voice laughed as she joined them. Stannis turned to see his wife of nearly a decade as she made her way through the artifacts to join them. In her arms was the small sleeping form of their nearly 1-year old daughter, Shireen. While Steffon was every inch a Baratheon, Shireen had her mother’s bright blue eyes and a slight red tint to her black hair. 

They hadn’t planned on children, though to be fair they hadn’t planned on _not_ having children. They discovered Sansa was pregnant with Steffon upon returning from spending a year in the Far North, living alongside the Northern Tribes as they researched the Walkers. They had unearthed numerous artifacts including what they believed to be the preserved body of a wight, several spears and dragon glass swords. 

By the time they had reached Winterfell on their way home, Sansa was quite ill. Summoning a Maester instantly, Ned stood beside Stannis as they waited for a verdict. It had been quite embarrassing to find out that his wife was pregnant while standing beside her father. Not his finest moment, Stannis admitted. 

Shireen however was planned, or at least they had been actively trying to having another child when she came along. They spent the last few months of Sansa’s second pregnancy in London and then stayed nearly a year after her birth until the Cairo Museum had beckoned. In the months in town, Steffon spent quite a bit of time with his Aunt Arya and Uncle Edric who, much to Stannis chagrin, spoiled him rotten. 

Edric and Arya, now in their early twenties, had already married and started working together to secure and escort artifacts of high value for the London Museum. They occasionally even escorted the Baratheon finds home, which always made for pleasurable journeys.

“Mom, this is a real mummy!” Steffon exclaimed. 

“It is” Sansa quickly kissing him before refocusing on their son. “Are you having fun?”

Steffon nodded, “Yes, but I am hungry too!”

“Of course, it is lunch time” Sansa smiled as Stannis lifted Steffon back to his shoulders. “Let’s go find Papa Davos, he should be waiting across the street!”

Stannis smiled as they made their way to the restaurant across the street where Davos, now in his early 60’s, sat enjoying a cup of coffee while reading a novel. Stannis knew that soon Davos would officially retire, but the older man had trouble staying in one place too long. 

“Papa Davos” Steffon yelled as they crossed the street, automobiles and camels lining the way. “I saw a _real_ mummy!”

“Ah! Did your father tell you about the curse!” Davos laughed, setting his book aside. 

“Mom says that isn’t real” Steffon said skeptically. 

“Ah, of course, your mother is a smart lady!” Davos smiled as they joined him at the large table. 

“Almost as smart as Dad!” Steffon beamed, as Stannis deposited him into the chair between himself and Davos. 

“Ouch” Sansa laughed softly as she sat with Shireen in her lap. 

“Are the translations done?” Davos asked with a smile. 

“All done” Sansa smiled. “We can make for London any time.”

“We could always stop by Luxor, for old times sake” Stannis smiled at his wife. Ten years had gone by and he loved her more each passing day. “Or we could go back to London, perhaps I could convince you to have another one of these” me motioned to the children. 

“You, sir, are trouble” Sansa leaned forward, kissing him softly. “Trouble.”

“Can we see another mummy?” Steffon asked. 

“You created a monster” Sansa laughed, relaxing in her chair. “Definitely his father’s son.”

Davos could only smile on at his oldest friend's happiness while listening to his grandson chatter on about mummies.

Sansa settled Shireen into her makeshift crib in their hotel room’s sitting area. Steffon was already asleep on the cot beside his sister, quite exhausted from the days events. She smiled down at them before making her way back to where Stannis was in the bedroom. She only half-shut the doors between them, wanting to be able to hear the children if they should wake.

“They’re finally asleep” she whispered, removing her robe to collapse on the large feather bed. 

“Steffon is probably dreaming of mummies” Stannis laughed to himself. 

“He’s your son” Sansa smiled, watching as her husband pulled on his pyjama bottoms, not bothering with the top in this desert heat. 

Sometimes she found it hard to believe that ten years had gone by since she first met Dr. Stannis Baratheon. Now, countless adventures later they were parents to two wonderful children and leading names in their fields, Stannis in archeology and her in cryptography. They had even been invited to participate in an upcoming Oxford lecture series that would cover all topics regarding the Targaryen dynasty, though Stannis had bristled when he heard Dr. Lannister had already accepted to join.

“Yes, well he’s yours too, hence why he’s stubborn as a mule” Stannis laughed softly, joining her in bed. 

“I am not stubborn” she protested. Stannis didn’t reply, merely gave her a look and she sighed, “Alright, I am a little stubborn.”

“Come here” he pulled her into his embrace on the large mattress. “You’re beautiful” he whispered, smoothing her hair back. “And stubborn.”

She laughed, “I am not” she kissed him, smoothing her hands over the warm skin of his chest. “Did you mean it? What you said at the cafe?”

“About having more children?” he asked and she nodded. “I am not opposed to the idea.”

“They are quite an adventure, aren’t they” she smiled. 

“Harder to wrangle than Edric, I will give them that” Stannis mused. “But I love them, just as I love you” he kissed the tip of her nose. “I never thought to have this, wife, family, even children,” he admitted. “But I wouldn't trade it for the world.”

“Good, because you’re going to be a father again in about 6 months time” she whispered, breaking the secret that had been on her mind since they left London. 

“Really?”

“Yes” she wrapped her arms around him. “I love you.”

“I love you” he pulled her close, both of them quietly celebrating their newest addition, fitting, as they were in the same deserts where they first met.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for pic sets and more shenanigans!  
> @the-red-wulf or https://the-red-wulf.tumblr.com/


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